Report -Tatton Cinema, Gatley - September 2011

meek

Fishbrain and I were looking for something to see before work one day and I told him about this place I'd spied when I accidentally jumped on the number 11 bus after work. At the time, we were planning a bit of a theatre/cinema run, having recently been into Eccles Crown, so the next morning we headed down to Gatley for a little peep. Alley reported on this a while back, but I wasn't aware of the cinema's name at the time so hadn't checked out that post. The place is a pigeon hole and is very trashed. My pictures were very, very blue due to me being naff with manual white balance - so I've tried to do a salvage job and made this an exclusively black and white post.

History

Tatton Cinema was built in the 1930s, but now only the front facade still stands â€“ housing the ticket office and the Mini Cinema on the first floor. Screens 1 and 2 were demolished. For decades, the cinema was the centrepiece of Gatley, but closed in early 2001 due to the increase in multiplex cinemas, particularly the nearby Parrs Wood Cinema complex in Didsbury. When the cinema closed down the site was sold and a series of developers struggled to find a way to make a profit from it. In 2002 a planning application was granted for one scheme, but the developer never proceeded. In 2008 another application was withdrawn by the developers. In late 2009 and early 2010 Council officers investigated a â€œland swapâ€ proposal. The idea was for the land behind the Tatton to be swapped for some land the Council currently owns â€“ and for the land behind the Tatton to become a public car park. Suitable land was never found.

The site is privately owned by Dickens Property Group who want to make a decent return on their investment. The two proposals theyâ€™ve come up with in recent years have been met with strong local opposition and the owners are currently sitting on their investment and waiting for property prices to rise again â€“ so basically, the Tatton will continue to provide a much-needed refuge for pigeons for the foreseeable future.

There was a big local campaign against the proposal to convert the site into a large convenience store with a care home to the rear. Council officers proposed granting it, but councillors came to the view that it wasnâ€™t the right development for the village.

The demise of the Tatton was surely confirmed when royal-pratt Eamonn Holmes chipped in with his support,

â€œWhen I moved from Belfast to take up a job at the BBC in 1996, Manchester was a really big, big place in comparison to what I was used to. But believe it or not I bought my first house where I did (no shit, should've named him Sherlock) and immediately felt right at home because of 'The Tatton Cinema'. The cinema provided the same things to me then that are important to you now. An entertainment centre within walking distance of home, parking during the day and a focal point and centre to the village of Gatley.â€​

Naturally, the Council should purchase the site, salvage the facade, and convert the building into some form of community-centred usage, but this will not happen because no one has the money (or inclination) to sort this mess out.